Kingston upon Thames

Kingston upon Thames' population expanded in the 10 years leading up to the latest census. Data from the census also show there were changes in religion, ethnicity and housing tenure.

The population passed 160,000

In the 10 years leading up to 2011, the population of Kingston upon Thames increased by 8.7%, from about 147,000 to 160,000.

The addition of just under 13,000 people means this area's population increased at a similar rate to the overall population of England (up 7.9% since the 2001 census).

In 2011, Kingston upon Thames was home to, on average, 31 people per football pitch-sized piece of land.

Population density was lower than the average across London

Population density (usual residents per football pitch-sized piece of land) across London, March 2011 (larger dots represent greater increase since 2001)

Average age stable in Kingston upon Thames

Latest census data also show that the median age of Kingston upon Thames remained 35 years in the decade to 2011.

This area had a higher average age than London and remained somewhat younger than the average local authority area across England (39 years of age).

The fall in age was because of an increase of just under 3,400 people between the ages of 40 and 49 years, while the population over the age of 80 years decreased by about 200.

About 15% of people in Kingston upon Thames are aged between 40 and 49 years

Percentage of usual residents in England, London and Kingston upon Thames by 10 year age band, March 2001 and March 2011

Disability in Kingston upon Thames

The percentage of Kingston upon Thames residents whose day-to-day activities are limited a little by a long-term health problem or disability decreased from 6.4% to 5.8% in the 10 years leading up to 2011.

The percentage who reported being limited a lot in their day-to-day activities remained close to 1.9%, while the percentage of Kingston upon Thames residents whose day-to-day activities are not limited by a long-term health problem or disability remained close to 92%.

The proportion of people who are slightly limited by a long-term health problem or disability fell at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of London (from 5.8% in 2001 to 5.3% in 2011). Across England, the percentage fell from 6.8% to 6.5%.

The proportion of people who are limited a little by a long-term health problem or disability was higher than across London

Percentage of usual residents that reported being slightly limited in their day-to-day activities across local authority areas in London and the average across England, March 2011

Religion in Kingston upon Thames

The number of people in Kingston upon Thames that described themselves as having no religion increased from just under 27,000 in 2001 to just over 41,000 in 2011. This represents a change from 18% to 26% of the local population.

The percentage increased by more than the average across London (from 16% to 21%), but at a slower rate than the average across England (from 15% to 25%).

The number of people in Kingston upon Thames that described themselves as Christian decreased from about 95,000 in 2001 to just under 85,000 in 2011 (from 65% to 53%). The number of people who did not disclose their religious affiliation increased from about 11,000 to just under 13,000 (from 7.4% to 7.9%).

Just under 9,500 people (3.9%) said they were Muslim, up from about 5,800 in 2001 (5.9%).

The population without a religion in Kingston upon Thames increased by 7.7 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in England, London and Kingston upon Thames by religion, March 2001 and March 2011

Ethnicity in Kingston upon Thames

The number of people in Kingston upon Thames from the Asian or Asian British ethnic groups increased from about 13,000 in 2001 to about 26,000 in 2011. This represents a change from 9.2% to 16% of the local population.

The percentage increased by more than the average across London (from 13% to 18%) and the average across England (from 5.2% to 8.0%).

The number of people in Kingston upon Thames from the White ethnic groups remained close to 120,000 between the last two censuses (from 84% to 74% of the population). The number of residents from Mixed/multiple ethnic groups (White and Asian, White and Black African, White and Black Caribbean or Other Mixed) increased from just under 3,400 to about 6,300 (from 2.3% to 3.9%).

Just under 4,400 people (2.5%) said they were from the Other ethnic groups (Arab or any other ethnic group), up from just over 3,700 in 2001 (2.8%).

The population from the Asian or Asian British ethnic groups in Kingston upon Thames increased by 7.2 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in England, London and Kingston upon Thames by ethnicity, March 2001 and March 2011

Rise in private renting

The percentage of privately rented homes increased in Kingston upon Thames, but at a slower rate than in Reading (one of the most statistically similar areas to Kingston upon Thames based on ONS area classifications).

In Kingston upon Thames, the proportion of private renting increased from 16% in 2001 to 22% in 2011. During the same period, the proportion in statistically similar Reading increased from 15% to 26%.

Across London, the share of privately rented homes increased from 15% to 25%.

The rate of social housing in Kingston upon Thames increased from 11% to 12%, while the rate of home ownership decreased from 71% to 64%.

Private renting in Kingston upon Thames increased by 6.8 percentage points

Percentage of households in Kingston upon Thames, London and England that rented privately, March 2001 and March 2011

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